Nestlé unwraps weaker growth after American dip

Organic sales at Nestlé, which owns the Kit Kat brand, rose 2.4 per cent in 2017JAMES GLOSSOP/THE TIMES

Nestlé’s sales rose at their slowest pace in at least two decades following weak demand in the US last year.

The Swiss food giant, which includes Kit Kat among its popular brands, said that organic sales in 2017 rose 2.4 per cent, which was below its expectations. Organic sales is the measure preferred by the company to compare its performance to the previous year and strips out factors such as currency fluctuations and acquisitions.

The growth in organic sales last year was the lowest since Nestlé began recording the figure in 1996.

Mark Schneider, Nestlé’s chief executive, said: “Organic sales growth was within the guided range but below our expectations, due to weak sales development towards the end of the year.

He added: “Sales growth…

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